MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. Indonesia becoming a member of BRICS will provide Jakarta with new ways of enhancing international cooperation and bolster the association's status, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday.
"I should also mention the successful foreign policy coordination [of Russia and Indonesia], primarily within the United Nations, as well as at some other international platforms and during the dialogue partnership of Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The list of these platforms has now been extended to include the fast-growing BRICS group - perhaps the modern world's most authoritative association, in which Indonesia became a full-fledged member starting from January 1 this year," the Russian foreign minister said at the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Indonesia. "This will significantly expand Jakarta's opportunities to develop international cooperation. Moreover, it will strengthen the international status and reputation of BRICS as a genuine voice of the Global South and [Indonesia, which is] the largest Muslim country," Russia's top diplomat noted.
On January 6, the Foreign Ministry of Brazil, which took over the rotating chairmanship of BRICS on January 1, 2025, announced that Indonesia had joined the group as a full member.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Indonesia were established on February 3, 1950.